


This isn't real

by who_seeks_shall_find



Series: Life as I see it [63]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Hurt, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Original Character(s), Protective Felicity Smoak, Protective Oliver Queen, Protectiveness, child services, post-season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 17:03:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15586584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/who_seeks_shall_find/pseuds/who_seeks_shall_find
Summary: Felicity's heart sinks into her stomach when she finds child services at her doorstep.





	This isn't real

**Author's Note:**

> This is a part of a series about Oliver's imprisonment and a year after it. This drabble takes place after Oliver's imprisonment. He has been out of prison for 178 days.
> 
> The series will be updated once a day (if it's just possible). It's going to include 122 drabbles about Oliver, Felicity, William and other characters who are involved in their lives. It's going to take approximately four months to finish the series. The drabbles are linked to each other but they're NOT in a CHRONOLOGICAL order. That's why, there may also be gaps or blanks which are filled in later.
> 
> I wish that every character is respected without unnecessary hatred.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Felicity sat at the dinner table and she tried to finish a piece code. She had been polishing it for a week now but still she wasn’t happy with it. She was sure that she could make it even better and more precise. It was challenge and Felicity loved it. She always loved things and situations which made her challenge herself and her intelligence. Besides, her code could make a real difference in people’s lives.

Felicity stood up and she grabbed her tablet with her. She shoved her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. She really needed some ice-cream but she couldn’t put her tablet down. She was so close cracking the problem. Felicity walked towards the kitchen while she read through the piece of a code. She was sure there was small error in her probability calculations but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. 

Felicity bit her bottom lip as she stared at her tablet. She opened the freezer door and put her hand inside without looking. She tried to find the ice cream container but it was hopeless. Finally, she lifted her head and turned her gaze at freezer. She was determined to enjoy her ice-cream without Oliver’s judgemental face. In Felicity’s opinion, her husband was living way too healthily although she couldn’t complain about his rock-hard abs. Maybe she could lick ice-cream off Oliver’s abs. Felicity shook her head so she could ignore those thoughts. She had no time to be distracted by Oliver when he wasn’t even at home. 

After a while Felicity saw the ice-cream container and grabbed it enthusiastically. Felicity opened the lid as she went to get a spoon. She really didn’t need a bowl because there was no one judging her. Oliver was training with Roy and John and William was with a friend of his. Felicity took a spoon and grinned widely. She didn’t know a better way to spend the afternoon when she was alone. Felicity took a spoonful of ice-cream and shoved it into her mouth. All the sugar and artificial ingredients rocked her world. Oliver could keep his healthy snacks and meals. A woman needed some sugar from time to time. 

Felicity was about to take another spoonful of ice-cream but a knock interrupted her antics. She groaned out loud and she looked at her ice-cream. She put the spoon in her mouth and went to get the door. She was carrying the ice-cream contained in her other hand. Felicity reluctantly walked over to the door while the spoon was still hanging from her mouth.

Felicity opened the door but she didn’t recognize the comers. She frowned at them. Behind the door was a woman and a man who were wearing formal clothes and they had blank expressions on their faces. Felicity just stared at them and she didn’t realize that the spoon was still in her mouth. Discreetly Felicity started looking for her phone with her free hand so she could contact Oliver, John or Roy as quickly as possible if something went wrong. 

“I’m Adam Williams and this is my colleague Morgan Smith,” the man started speaking and the woman nodded to Felicity as the man introduced her. Yet, their names didn’t ring any bells in Felicity’s head. She gave them a questioning look. 

“We're from child services,” Mr. Williams explained.

Felicity’s hand stopped looking for the phone from her back pocket and she had to catch the spoon which still had been hanging from her mouth. Otherwise, it would have dropped onto the floor. Felicity couldn’t but look down at her ice-cream and the spoon. She was bare foot and she looked like a total mess. 

The woman offered her hand and Felicity was still trying to find a way to speak. What were they doing at her doorstep? Felicity could feel her panic rising but she tried to keep it under control. She put her ice-cream and the spoon on the counter and took hold of the offered hand. First, Felicity shook hands with Mrs. Smith. Then she grabbed Mr. William’s hand and shook it firmly.

“Felicity Smoak,” Felicity introduced herself quietly. She hated how weak her voice was but she couldn’t help it. Her mind was raging and dozens of different possibilities were popping up in her mind.

“Can we come in, Ms. Smoak?” the woman asked.

Felicity nodded and let them in. She closed the door behind them and gestured towards the living room. As the woman walked to the living room, she said over her shoulder : “Don’t forget your ice-cream, Ms. Smoak.”

Felicity could feel how she was blushing and she stayed behind. She needed to tell Oliver what was going on. Child services didn’t pay visits without a reason. Felicity took her phone with shaky hands and texted to Oliver: “911. Come home. NOW.”

Felicity knew that Oliver was going to panic. He would probably assume that someone was dying. Yet, Felicity couldn’t send anything else because she needed him to be there no matter what. She couldn’t face those people from child services alone because losing William had become one of the worst fears of hers. She couldn’t deal with the thought of someone taking William away from them. He was their son.

Felicity took a deep breath while she squeezed her phone. She looked at the ice-cream but now it seemed disgusting. Felicity was sure she could throw up. Her heart was beating way too fast and her palms were sweating. She wanted to run away. She could just take William and Oliver with her. Nevertheless, she needed to face this. 

She took the last calming breath and straightened her shirt. Then she walked over to the living room where she was waited. Felicity stepped inside the living room and asked: “Would you like to have something? Coffee maybe?”

“No, thank you,” the man answered as he walked around the room. He was looking at their family pictures while the woman was already sitting on the couch. 

Felicity shifted uncomfortably and she didn’t know what to do. She could feel how her phone was vibrating in her back pocket but she couldn’t answer it right now. Instead, she asked cautiously: “What can I do for you?”

The woman cleared her throat and started explaining: “We got an anonymous tip. We’re just making sure that everything is okay.”

Felicity almost choked and she stammered: “Someone reported about us anonymously. What are you talking about?”

“Specifically, the source reported about you, Ms. Smoak,” the woman declared as she took a piece of paper from her bag.

“Me? What about me?” Felicity asked and her voice broke a little at the end of the sentence.

The officials didn’t have time to answer because they could hear the front door opening. Felicity held her breath and she wished it was Oliver. Yet, her heart sink into her stomach when William’s voice came from the corridor: “I’m home. Dad? Felicity?”

Felicity turned her head to the Mr. Williams and Mrs. Smith when William’s voice grew stronger while he came towards the living room. She couldn’t answer anything to William. She just wanted grab him and run. She didn’t care what it seemed or looked like. She didn’t want the child services to come close to her sweet boy. 

William stepped to the living room and smiled at her sweetly. He started: “Here you are, Felicity…”

His voice grew thinner and finally, it disappeared as he saw the strangers in their living room. William took a hesitant step forward and Felicity’s heart was beating even faster if possible. The woman stood up and it was what woke up Felicity. She rushed next to William and pressed her hand on William’s shoulders while William looked at her worriedly.

He whispered: “What’s going on, Felicity?”

Before Felicity could answer, the man explained: “We’re from child services. We’re here to make sure that everything is okay.”

Then the woman continued: “You’re William, right?”

William nodded but he didn’t say anything. He frowned and asked almost inaudibly: “Child services?”

Felicity squeezed William’s shoulder comforting and she didn’t turn her eyes away from William’s face while her phone was still relentlessly vibrating in her pocket. The man smiled at William sympathetically and asked: “Do you think it could be possible to talk with both of you separately?”

Felicity shook her head vigorously and she turned to look at the man. She wasn’t going to let William out of her sight. She wasn’t thinking rationally and small voice in her head said that she should do what they said. She wanted to be there. Felicity pushed William behind her back and took a firm grip on his wrist like it was her anchor.

“I’d prefer to stay with William,” Felicity said and squeezed William’s wrist even tighter. 

“Ms. Smoak,” the woman started in a firm voice and Felicity could feel how William winced behind her. Then the woman continued: “We’ve our guidelines. It’s recommended to talk the child and parents separately. Otherwise, the child could feel pressured to please his parents. It’s better if we talk to you both alone.”

“I want Felicity to stay,” William said cautiously and his fingers tangled with Felicity’s fingers.

“It’s not a good idea…” the man started but he was interrupted when they heard the front door opening.

Oliver shouted breathlessly: “Felicity? William?”

Felicity let out a relieved breath but she didn’t move. She shouted back: “We’re in the living room, Oliver.”

Oliver ran to the living room and John and Roy followed him. Of course, Oliver had been prepared for the worst when he had received the ominous text message. Felicity would have rolled her eyes at Oliver’s over-protectiveness and felt a little bad for worrying him if the situation had been any different. Today Felicity was glad for all the help and support they could get although the situation couldn’t be solved with fists.

Felicity could see how Oliver was assessing what was going on. His eyes scanned their bodies for physical injuries. He also paid attention to Felicity’s protective posture. Then Oliver turned his gaze to Mr. Williams and Mrs. Smith. He walked past William and Felicity and stopped right in front of them while Roy and John followed him. Eventually, Felicity and William were behind their broad backs.

Oliver offered his hand to the woman who was closer. He said in a dark voice: “Oliver Queen. Who are you?”

Felicity took a peek of the woman who gulped but took the offered hand as she said: “I’m Morgan Smith and this is my colleague Adam Williams. We’re working for the Star City child service department.”

Oliver’s shoulders tensed up slightly and he asked firmly: “What is this about?”

Mr. Williams stepped in and he said: “We got an anonymous tip and as you probably know we have to check every suspicion.”

“Anonymous tip?” Oliver asked behind his gritted teeth.

Mr. Williams nodded and Oliver continued: “You do realize that we’re public figures, right? People don’t always have very pleasant opinions about me or my family. I’m the mayor of Star City and the Green Arrow. We have lost our privacy and now you’re accusing us of what exactly?”

“We know how well-known you are around Star City, Mr. Queen. Yet, our main concern is William. We have been informed that your son doesn’t live in a safe environment. The person who gave us the tip was especially worried about Ms. Smoak’s capabilities of being a good mother,” the woman answered and Oliver snapped his mouth shut. He breathed through his nostrils while John and Roy’s shoulders tensed up even more.

Then Oliver turned to look at Felicity and William. The panic flashed in Oliver’s eyes and Felicity tried to hide William even better behind her back although he was taller than her. William whispered in a small voice: “Dad?”

Oliver seemed like he was torn apart. Obviously, he wanted to come next to Felicity and William but he also needed to stay between them and the people from child services. Roy and John looked at each other helplessly but they stayed rooted. This wasn’t the threat they had been prepared for. 

The silence stretched and no one moved. Finally, the woman said: “As we already told your wife, Mr. Queen, we would like to talk to all of you separately. Maybe we could start with William?”

“Absolutely not,” Oliver said and his tone left nothing unclear.

Before the man or the woman could answer anything, William pleaded: “Can’t my dad and Felicity stay with me? I want them here with me.”

The woman smiled at William gently although he was behind many backs. The woman stated: “The questions we ask from your parents may not be nice to hear.”

“I don’t care,” William said more confidently.

The social workers looked at each other and after a while, the man shrugged. The woman sighed and said: “Very well then. Maybe we can sit down?”

Oliver motioned towards the couch and the social workers sat down. They took a pile of papers in front of them. Felicity took a deep, calming breath and pulled William with her onto the couch. She didn’t let go of his hand. Oliver sat down between his family and the people from the child services. John and Roy shifted uncomfortably and Oliver just nodded to them.

“We will be in the kitchen,” John said before walking away. Roy nodded back to Oliver and followed John.

The man started: “Like we said before, our main concern is Ms. Smoak’s role in William’s life.”

Felicity tightened her grip on William’s hand and she had to bite her bottom lip so she wouldn’t start crying. Oliver growled: “I can assure you she’s a good parent who would do anything for our son.”

The man ignored Oliver’s comment and he asked: “What do you think, William?”

“She has always taken a good care of me. Felicity has loved me through hard times and I love her,” William stated in a small voice but without hesitation. The man nodded and marked something on his papers. 

“Do you have an extramarital affair, Ms. Smoak?” the woman suddenly asked.

Felicity’s eyes snapped at Oliver’s before she could answer. Then she laughed nervously before simply responding: “No.”

“Not even when your husband was in prison and you’re a single mom?” the woman continued and Felicity could see how Oliver clenched his fists.

“No,” Felicity answered once again.

“How about Roy Harper?” the man asked in turn.

“What about him?” Felicity asked cautiously.

“Have you had a relationship with Mr. Harper, Ms. Smoak?” the man asked keenly as he put his hand into his case and looked for something. 

Then he passed a few paparazzi pictures of Felicity and Roy. They were walking on the street and they were holding their take-away coffees. The man tapped his finger on the photos and he had a questioning expression. Felicity shook her head vigorously.

“Of course not. We’re friends and we just went for a coffee. It doesn’t mean we’re together,” Felicity said and she would have laughed at the question if the situation had been different. 

“Have you had sex when William have been in the same room?” the woman asked harshly.

Oliver cleared his throat and almost growled: “That’s enough.”

Felicity breathed out sharply because she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. William looked disgusted beside her and Felicity wasn’t so sure anymore that it was such a good idea to have him there with Oliver and her. She looked at Oliver desperately.

“Just answer the question, Ms. Smoak,” the woman commanded as she ignored Oliver.

“Never,” Felicity answered in a cold voice.

The woman turned her attention to William and asked: “Can you confirm what Ms. Smoak said, William?”

William looked helpless and it seemed like he wanted to escape. Oliver looked at his son and he stated: “I think that’s enough. He’s just thirteen. You have no right…”

“We gave you the option to do this separately,” the woman started but Felicity interrupted her. 

Felicity spat out angrily: “And that makes everything better?”

The woman and Felicity stared at each other for a while until William said quietly: “Felicity is telling the truth. I don’t even want to think about it. Can we change the topic?”

The man wrote down something and he gave a sympathetic smile to William. After that, he said: “I’m sorry, William. There was a concern that you may be exposed to sexually inappropriate behavior.”

“Well, I’m not. Can you leave now?” William asked cautiously.

“Unfortunately, we can’t. We would still like to see your room, William,” the man said as he looked at his papers.

William panicked beside Felicity and he whispered almost inaudibly: “But I haven’t cleaned it.”

Oliver leaned over Felicity and squeezed William’s knee as he mouthed: “It’s okay.”

The social workers rose to their feet and the woman straightened her jacket. She asked firmly: “Can you show the way, William?”

William, Felicity and Oliver stood up and William took a hesitant step towards the corridor. He turned to look at his dad and Felicity. Felicity gave him a small smile and William returned a tight smile. Then he walked outside of the living room while the adults followed him. Felicity laced her fingers through Oliver’s and squeezed his hand tightly. Oliver squeezed back.

He whispered as they kept walking behind William: “It’s going to be okay. It has to be.”

Felicity nodded but she knew they were trying to convince themselves as much as they were trying to convince each other. They walked in silence and Felicity couldn’t remember the last time she had been this worried. She was still feeling physically sick. She wanted to protect her family from everything. Those questions had crossed a line and she could feel her anger surfacing.

They reached William’s room and William opened the door. He looked mortified because of the mess. He mumbled apologies as the social workers stepped inside his room. William leaned on the door frame and Oliver pressed his hand William’s shoulder. Felicity couldn’t let go of Oliver’s other hand. They just stood there at the doorstep while the social workers scanned William’s room. 

Eventually, the woman nodded to the man and they walked out of the room. William stepped aside so they could walk past him to the corridor. They stopped and turned to face the Queen family. Suddenly, Felicity's heart was beating even faster. She didn’t know what was going to happen next.

Oliver asked firmly: “Is that all?”

“That’s all for now,” the woman said and William let out a relieved sigh. However, Felicity couldn’t relax. At least not yet.

Oliver nodded and gestured towards the lobby. As they walked to the front door, Oliver said to William: “Buddy? Could you go to the kitchen? I think Mr. Diggle and your uncle Roy are getting a bit nervous.”

William pressed his lips tightly together and nodded. He disappeared quickly. When William wasn’t to be seen, Oliver turned to look at the social workers. Felicity wanted to say many things but she was sure she would regret saying those things. 

Oliver and Felicity stared at the social workers angrily before Oliver said coldly: “I know you’re just doing your job but next time you’re going to contact our lawyer, Jean Loring, first. She will deal with this from now on. I hope there isn’t going to be a next time, though.”

The woman nodded firmly and offered her hand to Felicity. Felicity shook her hand and the woman stated: “We’ll be in touch with your lawyer.”

Then she turned to Oliver and they shook hands while the man shook hands with Felicity. Before opening the front door, the man stated: “Take care of that young boy.”

Before Felicity could say anything, Oliver announced: “William is loved and safe. We would never hurt him physically or mentally. Those suspicions were just disgusting and they’re false. William’s safety or well-fare aren’t compromised. There aren’t any kind of weird sexual interactions. William has the best mother figure in the world and I’m lucky enough to call her my wife.”

Felicity blushed a bit when Oliver mentioned her being a good mother. She wasn’t always confident of being a mom. Every day she thought that she was somehow failing William. She watched how her ice-cream was melting on the counter where she had left it. She couldn’t help but think how she couldn’t even take care of ice-cream. How could she take care of William? 

The man responded to Oliver: “Your lives are dangerous and your whole family is a target now that you have revealed yourself as the Green Arrow. Truth be told, I'm more worried about your role than your wife's. You bring uncertainty, Mr. Queen.”

Oliver flinched and Felicity's heart clenched. The man was saying out loud Oliver's worst fear. Felicity said firmly: “Oliver's a good father and don't you dare think anything else. We’re aware of the possible dangers and we have security protocols because of it. Like my husband said, we’re never going to compromise William’s safety. He’s our world.”

The social workers nodded and opened the door. They walked outside and Oliver closed the door behind them. As the door was closed, Felicity collapsed against Oliver’s chest and he wrapped his arms around her. Felicity started sobbing and she buried her face in his chest.

“It’s okay. He's safe. I love you,” Oliver whispered and stroked her hair. 

They stood there holding each other as Felicity tried to regain her composure. Oliver stroked her hair soothingly and whispered calming words into her ear. Finally, she wiped her tears away and sniffled. Felicity mumbled: “I love you too.”

Oliver smiled at her before suggesting: “I think we should go check on William.”

“Yes,” Felicity agreed immediately. She really needed to hug her sweet boy and she needed to feel him close to her body. Nobody was ever going to take him away from them. She wouldn't allow it.

**Author's Note:**

> Update for tomorrow:  
> The visit from child services pokes some painful memories and Felicity feels overwhelmed. She needs to be on her own for a while.


End file.
